BW INSIGHTS

Limited English Proficiency Policies

Health care providers and other covered entities likely encounter individuals in their practice that are diverse in language, ethnicity, and religion. As communities continue to diversify, it is important for covered entities to understand their legal obligations to populations who may not speak English as a primary language. Title VI of the Civil... Read More

Are You Ready if a Sexual Harassment Scandal Hits Your Business? - Part III

As outlined in our earlier posts, business leaders are subject to increasing scrutiny in light of the national dialogue happening right now. This movement is not limited to the arena of celebrities and politicians. Does your business know what to do if allegations are lodged against your CEO or other critical managers? Given the spotlight being... Read More

Surrogacy Contracts Are Enforceable in Iowa

In a highly-anticipated ruling, the Iowa Supreme Court today ruled that gestational surrogacy contracts are enforceable in Iowa. The case involved a couple who were unable to conceive a child together. They entered an agreement with another couple, whereby the wife agreed to carry a child for the intended parents in exchange for compensation for... Read More

Iowa's State Health Facilities Council Approves Over $6 Million of New Projects

The State Health Facilities Council (the “Council”) met on February 21, 2018, and granted a certificate of need (“CON”) to each of the following projects by a vote of 4-0: The purchase of a 3.0 Tesla MRI by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics at a cost of $2,681,912. The purchase of a PET/CT system by the University of Iowa Hospitals and... Read More

Iowa Medicaid Providers Subject to Increased Scrutiny for Medicaid Overpayments

On January 23, 2018, the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) announced that it will begin using statistical sampling to determine whether Iowa Medicaid providers have received overpayments from Iowa Medicaid Enterprise (IME), including from the Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), and the Iowa Dental Wellness Plan. Pursuant to Informational... Read More

Are You Ready if a Sexual Harassment Scandal Hits Your Business? - Part II

Does your business have a handle on its policy enforcement? As outlined in our earlier post, charges of sexual harassment have always posed the potential for very serious liability. Historically, however, sexual harassment has been relatively difficult to prove from the legal perspective. That tide is turning, however, as technology and social... Read More

Are You Ready if a Sexual Harassment Scandal Hits Your Business?

Does your business have the basics covered? For the past several months, we have been inundated with daily news about entertainers, media personalities, and politicians being accused of sexual harassment and worse. Victims of such conduct are no longer remaining silent – and rightfully so. The era of responding to an employee’s allegation of... Read More

Mobile Technology

Mobile technology continues to become more and more a part of our daily lives. While experts debate what this means in the context of personal lives and family lives, there’s no question it also introduces some unique issues to the workplace. Employers should consider potential legal implications of technology in the workplace with respect to... Read More

Iowa's Next Energy Frontier - Microgrids

Living in Iowa, you have likely driven within sight of a wind turbine farm with its tubular towers sprouting up hundreds of feet above the local farmer’s crops, or noticed angled solar panels in tight groupings along some shadow-free earth or perched on the edge of a new building’s rooftop. After such an observation, did you pause to wonder how... Read More